Former worst university president in the world Graham Spanier is the one man who, almost, escaped this situation unscathed. Sure, he cowardly ran out of Old Main the night Joe Paterno was fired, was forced out of power by the board and, presumably, has been laying low since… but he hasn’t suffered any legal consequences. [Back in November, we likened his actions to those of Billy Zane from Titanic.] Last week, though, Louis Freeh’s report presented email evidence that Spanier knew about the accusations against Jerry Sandusky and actively worked to cover them up, specifically hiding them from the Penn State Board of Trustees. The findings in Freeh’s report were so damning that one can assume Spanier will eventually face charges for either not reporting the accusations to authorities or lying to a grand jury. Or both.

Yesterday, his lawyers released what may be the most ridiculous statement in this whole saga… more ridiculous than any Paterno Family statement. It read: [via CNN]

The Freeh report ignored many important facts, including the conclusions of a far more independent and thorough investigation of Dr. Graham Spanier conducted simultaneously by federal officials responsible for our national security.

Dr. Spanier has for some time held a top secret security clearance in connection with his work with the federal government. This clearance required a re-review when the Sandusky matter surfaced in November. Federal investigators then conducted a four-month investigation of their own in which they interviewed many of the same individuals the Freeh Group interviewed and other relevant individuals Freeh did not interview. At the conclusion of the investigation the government reaffirmed Dr. Spanier’s clearance.

Although Dr. Spanier told Mr. Freeh directly about the federal security investigation and its result, there is no mention of it anywhere in the Freeh report.

The Freeh report is not an independent judicial evaluation. Mr. Freeh, no longer a judge, runs a company that was retained by the Board of Trustees of the University. His report contained numerous inaccuracies and reached conclusions that are not supported by the data. Meanwhile, Mr. Freeh unfairly offered up Dr. Spanier and others to those insisting upon a finding of culpability at the highest level of the University. Mr. Freeh’s conclusions are not judicial or law enforcement pronouncements.

Dr. Spanier looks forward to the opportunity in the future to set the record straight and as we have previously said, all of our thoughts and prayers remain with the young people who are at the center of this terrible ordeal.

According to Spanier’s biography, published by Penn State, he is a member of the National Counterintelligence Working Group. And, in April, he told the Patriot-News that he had taken a job “relating to national security.”

"For the next several months, as I transition to my post-presidential plans, I will be working on a special project for the US government relating national security," Spanier told the Patriot-News in Harrisburg. "This builds on my prior positions working with federal agencies to foster improved cooperation between our nation's national security agencies and other entities."

Mind-blowing. The university president who presided over the biggest college scandal of all-time by actively covering up child rape allegations is working on a national security project, and a four-month government investigation reaffirmed his security clearance to do so? OF COURSE IT DID. Spanier’s not working for a daycare. Or at a school. Or with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s not working with children or babies. He’s working with some sort of NSA-style spook group. They champion this shit. What’s that, Graham? You successfully put the lid on deviant child rape by one of the most recognizable and famous faces on a massive campus for over a decade? You withheld sensitive information concerning said rape from a board of trustees that included the governor of Pennsylvania??? AND you hid it all in plain sight by not only enabling the predator to continue to feed his desires, but also by selling land to a children’s charity which he oversaw?!? Revoke your clearance? Fuck, we just raised it! You should run for office. No, the Presidency. Of the country. That’s brilliant, man. Fucking brilliant.